Quote:
Originally Posted by FellaGaga-52
You know, as pointed out a thousand times and then forgotten, when it comes to dying, for people in the Christian belief system it should be something much welcomed and looked forward to. Jesus, streets of gold, pure bliss, eternal happiness, etc. await them. So why all the fear, angst and tragedy about death? It doesn't figure. That is unless the religion is just a mime job. There is absolutely no tragedy to millions of Christians dying ACCORDING TO THE RELIGION ... but there is according to humanism. And that's important to realize what we're dealing with in terms of where morality and immorality are lurking.
I think of the Christian religion as one that emphasizes the importance of repentance and redemption. Historically, it is central to this viewpoint that humans are born as physically, psychologically, and morally flawed and broken creatures. Thus, the natural state of humans without God is one of sorrow and tragedy.
Then the central idea is that we are born into this sorry state, but that it need not be this way, that through repentance and dedication to God you can triumph over this world and become a new person and live in a better world.
Given this view, it's a mistake to say that Christians should regard the pain and suffering that is still part of our natural state now as not actually bad or tragic. Redemption is a process of making right what is wrong, but that is to be done through victory of good over evil or payment of moral debts, not through defining pain and suffering as themselves inherently good. Through Christ, Christians become born again as new people, they don't just have their old selves declared good.
Anyway, Christians believe that if you are saved you need not fear death, but that doesn't mean that you should not fear the pain and suffering that typically go along with dying. Furthermore, of course millions of people will die who are not Christians, and Christians are enjoined by their religion to feel compassion for them.